Monday, Student Government discussed filling Senate vacancies and the dropping retention rate of Student Senators.
Senator James Tichy addressed the senator retention rate dropping by saying it is due to meetings running too late, the time commitment and lack of action by administration to apply their legislation.
“I would call upon the Dean of Students Office to enact a special election,” Tichy said. “The amount of resignations we receive in the Senate is extreme, and only so many of them should be filled by appointments rather than democratically elected representatives. However, it should not stop there, the unsupportive atmosphere on part of the administration of the executives is unsustainable for a legislative body.”
Immediately following Senator Tichy’s discussion about the organization being unable to retain members, Student Senator at large and Director of Government Affairs Alexa Browning resigned from her position and exited the meeting. Browning disclosed that she thinks the current Student Government cabinet is just as dysfunctional as the previous administrations.
“I am tired of aimless arguing, petty treatment and a growing amount of distrust between the President, Vice President and the Senate,” Browning said. “I cannot continue to be silent about the complete lack of professionalism in the executive branch.”
Vice President Tucker Thompson provided an update that that the free menstrual hygiene products should be placed in bathrooms by the end of September.
Student Body President Corey Benbow addressed the meeting by discussing the role of Student Government to serve the student body to the best of their ability. Benbow speaks his opposition to the “No Free Labor Act” because he believes it is not a piece of legislation that enacts a positive change for the entire student body of the university.
The “No Free Labor Act” is legislation proposing that Student Senators be monetarily compensated with funds from the Student Government budget for time they put into the organization outside of their stated duties. The resolution was tabled in order to analyze the budget and discuss other ways to be compensated for their time as Senators.
The “Affordable Homework Resolution” passed with a unanimous vote. The act will request the university to form a policy forbidding faculty from making online homework or access codes required for the completion of the course.
An emergency agenda item titled “Nomination Review Clarification Act” which makes updates to the process of filling Senate Vacancies and reviewing presidential nominations was passed by the senate.
Student Government is moving the live feed of their meetings from Facebook to Periscope, the Twitter version of accessing live video footage. You can find their live video by going on the Student Government twitter page.
Kelly Torpey was been confirmed as Director of Programming. The confirmation of Andrew Florence as Director of Freshman Leadership has been tabled until next week’s meeting.
Student Government meetings are open to the public and meet every Monday in the LBJ Teaching theater at 7 p.m. The next meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 30 following a Roundtable meeting at 5 p.m. in the LBJ Teaching Theater. The Roundtable is also open to the public and will have members of student services and administration present including President Trauth, the Provost, Transportation Services, University Police Department and many more.